§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what further plans he has to increase the take-up of the minimum income guarantee.[135755]
§ Mr. RookerWe are determined to ensure that pensioners on low incomes claim what they are entitled to. The minimum income guarantee take-up campaign is still in progress.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners he estimates are(a) eligible for and (b) claiming the Minimum Income Guarantee for each parliamentary constituency in Wales. [136646]
§ Mr. RookerIt is only possible to answer part(b) of the hon. Member's question.
788W
Minimum Income Guarantee claimants by parliamentary constituency, May 2000 Thousand Parliamentary constituency Number of claimants Aberavon 2.4 Alyn and Deeside 1.8 Blaenau Gwent 2.6 Brecon and Radnorshire 1.8 Bridgend 2.1 Caernarfon 2.0 Caerphilly 2.8 Cardiff, Central 2.5 Cardiff, North 1.5 Cardiff, South and Penarth 3.7 Cardiff, West 2.7 East Carmarthen and Dinefwr 2.4 West Carmarthen and South Pembrokeshire 2.4 Ceredigion 1.1 Clwyd, South 2.3 Clwyd, West 3.0 Conwy 2.5 Cynon Valley 2.2 Delyn 2.2 Gower 2.2 Islwyn 2.3 Llanelli 3.4 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 1.6 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 2.4 Monmouth 1.7 Montgomeryshire 1.4 Neath 3.1 Newport, East 1.9 Newport, West 2.5 Ogmore 1.6 Pontypridd 1.9 Preseli Pembrokeshire 2.2 Rhondda 3.2 Swansea, East 3.0 Swansea, West 3.5 Torfaen 2.4 Vale of Clwyd 2.7 Vale of Glamorgan 2.3
Minimum Income Guarantee claimants by parliamentary constituency, May 2000 Thousand Parliamentary constituency Number of claimants Wrexham 2.3 Ynys Mon 2.2 Notes:
- 1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands.
- 3. Pensioners are defined as benefit units where the claimant and/or their partner are aged 60 or over.
- 4. Cases have been allocated to each parliamentary constituency by matching the postcode against the 2000 version 1 of the Postcode Director. Constituency boundaries are represented as at May 1997.
Source:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 2000
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South (Mr. Donohoe) of 2 November 2000,Official Report, column 573W, if he will list the percentage of each five year age group above the age of 60 years who are in receipt of the Minimum Income Guarantee, broken down by gender.[137387]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 9 November 20001]The information is in the table.
Minimum Income Guarantee pensioners aged 60 or over by age, gender and as a percentage of the population in the relevant age group, Great Britain, May 2000 Age Number (Thousand) Percentage All claimants 1,615 13.6 All males 60–641 184 13.5 65–69 93 7.7 70–74 72 7.0 75–79 61 7.4 80 or over 112 16.0 All females 60–641 122 8.6 65–69 119 9.0 70–74 141 11.3 75–79 193 16.3 80 or over 517 33.3 160–64 age band includes claimants aged under 60 where there is a partner aged 60 or over. Notes:
- 1. Figures are based on 5 per cent. sample, therefore subject to sampling error.
- 2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
- 3. Pensioners are defined as where the claimant, and/or partner are aged 60 or over.
- 4. "Percentage of the population" is based on ONS population estimates for mid-term 1999, and represents Income Support claimants in each age band as a proportion of the population of the same age and gender.
Sources:
Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, May 2000.
Population estimates unit—ONS mid-term estimates for 1999.
789W
§ Mr. FlightTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement regarding the level of complexity of the form that needs to be completed by pensioners wishing to claim the Minimum Income Guarantee and its impact on the numbers of people making a claim.[137617]
§ Mr. RookerAs my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security has said in his statement on 9 November 2000,Official Report, columns 451-55, the Department is examining measures which will reduce the complexity of the current system and encourage pensioners to claim their correct benefit entitlement.
§ Mr. WillettsTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a geographical breakdown of the number of pensioners who are estimated to be entitled to the Minimum Income Guarantee but do not claim it. [138311]
§ Mr. RookerThe information is not available.
§ Mr. FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what will be the rate of Minimum Income Guarantee per week from April 2001.[138432]
§ Mr. RookerIn April 2001, the Minimum Income Guarantee will be set at £92.15 for single pensioners and £140.55 for couples.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his latest estimate, making no allowance for behavioural change, of how many pensioner households will benefit from the Minimum Income Guarantee in 2050.[138349]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 15 November 2000]: Making no allowance for behavioural change, the figure remains at one in four—the same as given in the Pensions Green Paper "Partnership in Pensions" (Cm 4179).
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many retired people who qualify for payment of the Minimum Income Guarantee are receiving it.[138522]
§ Mr. RookerSome 2 million pensioners either as singles or couples receive the Minimum Income Guarantee. Figures for those who might be entitled but are not claiming were based on a 1 per cent. sample. We shall have a better estimate of those entitled but not claiming when the present take-up campaign is concluded, during which we are making direct contact with 2.3 million pensioners.